Ball throwing device



June 4, 1963 F. DAVIS 3,092,093

BALL THROWING DEVICE Filed Aug. 28, 1961 I r FIG.

ff Z6 fw FE"? 7 {a v 47 I ff INVENTOR.

United States Patent ice 3,092,093 BALL THROWING DEVICE Floyd Davis, 67 61 Terrell, Groves, Tex. Filed Aug. 28, 1961, Sell. No. 134,211 1 Claim. (Cl. 124-4) This invention relates generally to ball playing accessories and more specifically to a ball projecting device.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a ball throwing device which would be an asset in the practice of playing baseball, either in little league playing or in backyard playing.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a ball throwing device which would toss a ball to a player and which would take less effort to operate than to toss the ball directly from a persons hand.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a ball throwing device having means for feeding the balls automatically into position for projecting.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a ball throwing device which may be easily operated by children as well as by adults, and which is safe to operate.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a ball throwing device bearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and efiicient in operation and use.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the present invention showing a portion of the front panel broken away to show the interior construction;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the construction shown in FIG. 1;

"FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of a modified form of the invention showing a portion of the front panel broken away to show the internal construction;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the construction shown in FIG. 3.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, the numeral represents a perfect fly knocker or hi-fly ball throwing device according to the present invention wherein there is a stand 11 formed by means of side walls 12 and an end wall 13 having an opening 14 therein. The walls enclose a central chamber v15. A pair of base runners 16 of generally substantial length are attached to the lower portions of opposite side walls and are provided for the purpose of offering greater stability to the device. The stand 11 and base runners 16 may be made of Wood or other material if desired and are fastened together by means of screws 17 or the like.

A pair of cross ties 18 extend between the runners 16 adjacent to the stand 11 and are provided for the purpose of offering a rigid construction to the entire device. The stand 11 may be provided with a bottom wall and a top wall 19 and attached to the said top wall 19 is a handle element 20 extending upwardly therefrom for the purpose of conveniently carrying the device from one place to another.

A pair of paddles 21 are located in parallel, horizontal relationship above the top wall 19 on each side of the handle element 20. Each of the paddles 21 is fixedly attached by means of a hinge 22 to the upper edge of the side wall opposite the end wall. The hinge 22 permits the paddle 21 to be moved from a horizontal position adjacent the top wall 19 to a position indicated by phantom lines in FIG. 1. The paddle 21 pivots about the hinge 22. The paddle, made preferably of wood, has a 3,092,093 Patented June 4, 1963 rubber pad 22' attached to the upper side at one end thereof. The paddle end 23 is adjacent the hinge 22. The other end 24 of the paddle has a cup element 25 afiixed to the upper side thereof. The cups 25 may be made of metal, if preferred.

The invention includes a plurality of balls 26 made of rubber or the like which are of a size to fit within the concavity of the cup 2 5. The invention also includes a mallet 27 having a handle 28 and a head 29 made of wood or heavy rubber. On one of the side walls of the stand 11 there is provided a bracket 30 extending horizontally outwardly therefrom and immediately therebelow upon the cross piece 18 a rubber cushion 321 is provided, the bracket 30 and cushion 31 being for the purpose of holding the mallet 27 when not in operative use.

To use the device, one of the balls is removed from the central chamber of the stand by means of the access opening 14 and the ball is then placed upon the cup 25. The mallet is then taken in the hand the user striking therewith the rubber pad at the opposite end of the paddle, as shown in FIG. 1. This causes thepaddle to move in an arcuate path about the hinge, causing the ball to be propelled upwardly. The paddle may rotate as far as ninety degrees about the hinge, after which further movement is prevented by the side wall of the stand.

of paddles, thereby permitting the launching of two balls in relatively fast time.

In FIGS. 3 and 4 there is shown a modification of the invention wherein the balls 'are delivered automatically to the paddle cup forlaunching. In this form of the invention there is a stand 40 having base runners 41 in parallel relation on opposite sides of the stand and extending thereacross are a pair of transverse cross ties 42. The device is provided with a single paddle 43 which is attached by means of a hinge 44 to the upper edge of one of the side walls 45. The paddle 43 has a rubber pad 46 at one end thereof and a metal cup 47 at the other end thereof. This form of the device also includes a basket or hopper for holding balls 48. The basket is identified by the numeral 49 in FIG. 3 of the drawing. Extending downwardly from the bottom of said basket is a trough 50 of substantial cross section to permit the balls 48 to pass therethrough. The cup 47 of the paddle is located adjacent to the exit of the trough 50 in a manner so that a ball leaving the tube will fall into the cup. The mechanism 51 controls the discharge of the balls from the trough 50 and is comprised of a horizontal member 52 pivoted at one end 53 to the framework of the device and normally urged upwardly by a spring 54. Upstanding therefrom are a pair of rods 55- and 56 and the horizontal member 52 is at its extreme end turned upwardly to form a rod 57. The rod '57 is in a position below the paddle and in the path thereof, thereby being depressed downwardly by the paddle when the device is at rest, as shown in FIG. 3. The rod 56 is located in a position to travel in front of the discharge end 58 of the trough 50, at times blocking the passage of balls therethrough and at, other times being clear thereof. The rod 55 extends upwardly behind the trough to a position higher than the trough and the end thereof is then bent downwardly passing through an opening in the top of the trough and the end of the rod extending into the trough passage in a transverse direction. At certain times the said end of the rod 55 is raised, thereby permitting passage of the balls, while at other times the end is lowered into the passageway, blocking movement of the balls therethrough. In operation, the modified form of the invention shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 operates in a manner providing automatic loading of the cup at the end of the paddle. The operation is as follows: Balls 48 are placed into the basket 49 and fall therefrom into the trough 50. The movement of the balls out of the discharge end of the trough is arrested by the end of the rod 55 extending transversely into the trough while the paddle is at rest, as shown in FIG. 3. The paddle at rest depresses downward the end 57 of the horizontal member 52, thereby causing the end of rod 55 to be in the blocking position, 'just'described. At the same time the upstanding rod 56 is clear of the discharge end of the trough.

When the-rubber pad 46 at the end of the paddle is struck with aimal'let, the other end of the paddle containing the cup is pivoted upwardly around the hinge 44. At the same time the horizontal member 52 is urged upwardly by means of spring 54, causing the end of the rod 55 to be lifted out of the trough passage and the rod 56 to block the discharge end of the trough.

Thus, the first ball within the trough adjacent the end of rod 55 is moved forwardly to the end of the trough and isretained in the position by the rod 56. Upon returning downwardly of the paddle, the horizontal member 52 is again depressed downwardly causing the rod 56 to descend and allowing the first ball to fall within the cup 47 and at the same time the end of the rod 55 is descended into the trough in front of the second ball, thereby preventing the ball from moving ahead until the next subsequent operation. In this manner, the balls may be fired rapidly, one afterthe other.

It is important to note that a paddle latch 59 is provided for the purpose of stopping the rebound until a ball falls into the cup, after which it releases the same.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within-the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

In a ball throwing device the combination of a stand,

4% a pair of base runners in parallel relationship attached to the lower portion of opposite sides of said stand and extending horizontally a substantial distance from said stand, a paddle having a hinge transversely attached to the bottom side thereof at a point between the two ends of said paddle, the said hinge being attached to the upper edge of the stand, a rubber pad aflixed to the upper side of one end of said paddle, a cup attached to the upper side of the other end of said paddle, a basket aifixed to said stand at a point higher than said paddle, a plurality of balls placed therein, a discharge mechanism providing automatic loading of said balls within said cup, said discharge mechanism including a downwardly extending trough adjacent the bottom wall of said basket, a horizontal member pivoted at one end to the frame of said stand having a spring urging said horizontal member upwardly, a vertical rod extending upwardly from said horizontal member, said rod extending adjacent said trough to.a point higher than the same, the end of said rod being bent and depending downwardly into an opening in said trough, another vertical rod extending up- Wardly from said horizontal member, said rod being in alignment with the lower end of said trough and the end of the horizontal member being upwardly turned and in position to be engaged by the bottom side of one end of said'paddle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,047,989 Reeves Dec' 24, 1912 1,758,032 Dickman May 13, 1930 2,146,156 Nicot et a1. Feb. 7, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 166,770 Great Britain July 28, 1921 

